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J-POP SUMMIT 2016 WELCOMES JAPANESEPOP ART ILLUSTRATOR KAORI WAKAMATSU
AS A GUEST OF HONOR
The San Francisco Bay Area’s Premiere Japanese Pop Culture Event
Presents The Renowned Artist And Illustrator For Her First-Ever U.S.
Professional Appearance As A Special Guest Of Kinokuniya Bookstores
San Francisco, CA, May 19, 2016 – J-POP SUMMIT 2016, one of the world’s biggest
Japanese pop culture events, has announced that it will welcome pop art creator – KaoriWakamatsu – as a Guest of Honor at this year’s festival.
J-POP SUMMIT 2016 will take place Saturday and Sunday, July 23rd and 24th at the historic
Fort Mason Center located in San Francisco’s Marina district.
Kaori Wakamatsu is acclaimed for her vivid illustrations highlighted by delicate and stylized
imagery and her innovative use of patterns, manga and fashion-esque themes. The artist will
make her first-ever U.S. appearance for several exclusive autograph sessions on both days ofthe J-POP SUMMIT at the Fandom Booth powered by 2016 festival sponsor, Kinokuniya
Bookstores.
Passes to attend one of the autograph sessions will be available to the first 200 people thatpurchase at least $20.00 of Kaori Wakamatsu products or a Kinokuniya Gift Card ($20.00 ormore) from the Kinokuniya’s Retail Booth during J-POP SUMMIT. Autograph sessions will takeplace inside the Fandom Booth by Kinokuniya, located adjacent to main Kinokuniya’s RetailBooth. See more details at http://www.j-pop.com/kaori-wakamatsu-autograph-sessions.
This year, J-POP SUMMIT attendees will be able to experience a vibrant 2-Day celebration ofJapanese pop-influenced culture including edgy fashion events, pop art exhibits, live music, atechnology summit and display, and interactive activates, accented by ramen vendors, sake-2016 J-POP SUMMIT Presents Guest Of Honor Illustrator Kaori Wakamatsu
Page 2	  tasting, and additional attractions also highlighted by celebrity Guests of Honor. Full details on
2016 J-POP SUMMIT are available at: www.J-POP.com.
A variety of affordable ticket options and V.I.P packages will give J-POP SUMMIT attendees themaximum amount of flexibility to customize a memorable festival experience. Adult single-day
passes start at only $25.00 each; 2-day passes start at only $40.00 each. Ticket details areavailable at www.J-POP.com/Tickets.
Kaori Wakamatsu began her career as an illustrator in 2002. Her artwork is featured on a varietyof consumer products including postcards, calendars, and book covers. The artist uses bothtraditional and digital tools to create her work and effectively conveys a vivacity that appeals totoday’s digital generation while also incorporating delicate and whimsical details. KaoriWakamatsu has gained widespread notoriety in Japan and also internationally among thoseinterested in Japanese pop art and culture. She says, “When illustrating characters, I try to put
the atmosphere and the world around the person into the picture.”
Kaori Wakamatsu’s notable works include the character designs for a popular Japanese social
game, “Brilliant Thieves Royale (Kaito Royale).” Her bold and stylish designs have helped thegame attract over 10 million players and prompted it to be adapted into a TV series. Wakamatsu
also has designed cover illustrations for more than one hundred books across multiple genres
including historical novels, detective stories, and youth fiction. In 2014, Kinokuniya bookstores inSan Francisco and Seattle featured one of Wakamatsu’s designs on their loyalty cards.
Official Artist Website: www.graffiti-bunny.com; Official Artist Blog: http://gb-blog.seesaa.net.
About J-POP SUMMIT
J-POP SUMMIT is one of the world’s biggest Japanese pop culture events, held every summer
in San Francisco, CA. By introducing the latest in Japanese music, fashion, film, art, games,tech-innovations, anime, food, as well as niche subcultures, the festival has become a landing
platform for new trends from Japan.
Official website: www.j-pop.com
Official YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/JPOPSUMMIT/featured###